The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

The Secret Year

Jennifer Hubbard

Viking

Published January 7, 2010

Source: ARC received from publisher

Summary: Colt found Julia to be the perfect girl. Although they came from two totally different worlds, they shared secrets and a strong romance. Too bad no one else could ever find out about their relationship. After Julia dies in an accident and he is given her journal, Colt learns more about Julia than he ever knew and revisits their secret year together.

Review: The Secret Year was a moving novel that I enjoyed very much. I think what separatedthis book from other YA novels was its genuine realism. The characters in the book were flawlessly created. Each of them possessed what makes us human--conflict. The internal battles faced by the characters struck through to the heart and their emotions were felt on every page. I was most drawn to Colt's brother, Tommy, who is a true gem. Very rarely do secondary characters, who make only minor appearances in a book, have the same impact on the reader's experience as Tommy did mine.

In addition to the characters' feelings, the events in the story were true to life. Each was captured on the pages in an exciting fashion, yet could take place in any of our own teenage years. The hatred and resentment felt between the Black Mountain kids and those from the flats gave an accurate and thrilling depiction of small town drama.

To help out with the characters and events, the settings were beautifully crafted. I could use all five senses through Jennifer's breathtaking descriptions of the settings and felt as though I was there watching each scene play out.

Fresh, mesmerizing, and authentic, The Secret Year is a powerful debut novel and I look forward to reading more by Jennifer Hubbard (hopefully) in the near future.

Rating: 9-You've gotta read this one!